The Blue Caftan

A gay tailor, his wife, and his young apprentice confront each other and themselves in this warm and touching chamber piece. At the story’s center is a striking caftan, sewn from blue silk and tenderness.

The middle-aged tailor Halim runs a small shop along with his wife Mina. The business is struggling, but Halim works slowly and meticulously, especially with a blue caftan that will turn out to be his most beautiful creation. Besides, Halim has more than financial concerns. He struggles to keep his homosexuality secret from everyone, including Mina. This becomes a complicated task when a handsome young man, Youssef, shows an interest in becoming a tailor’s apprentice – and in the tailor himself.

This leads to a sort of love triangle, but not in the sense that one might expect. Even though the relationship between Youssef and the couple leads to tears and heated confrontations, they eventually develop a tight bond built on love and acceptance. The Blue Caftan is a film that looks for beauty in its characters, and the story is carried by powerful performances from all three lead actors. Finally, the titular caftan takes on a particularly touching significance.

«Beautifully crafted, The Blue Caftan weaves together the nuanced tale of a couple's love story and history in an intricate, gentle, and profound way.» – Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

TIFF (Atli Bjarnason)

Director

Maryam Touzani (b. 1980) is a filmmaker and journalist from Morocco. Her feature debut was the multi-award-winning Adam in 2019, screened at Arab Film Days in 2020. She has a close collaboration with her director husband Nabil Ayouch, and contributed to the screenplays of his films Casablanca Beats (2021) and Razzia (2017), in addition to acting in the latter film.

This film is part of